“The mayor and his wife host an annual ball,” Pierce said. “It will be held later this month, and I was able to secure an invitation for us to attend.”
Mollie understood the significance of an invitation to such a sought-after social affair. They could acquire more information in one night than they could learn through weeks of meeting people and searching for answers on their own.
“What do we do in the meantime?” Pierce asked while keeping his eyes on Mollie, uncomfortable with her behavior toward Eva. He’d watched her scrutinize the other agent as if she were the enemy and not part of the team Noah had formed.
“Pierce, you’ll go to the office each day while Mollie begins to make friends with some of the more influential women in San Francisco.”
“And how do I go about doing that?” Mollie had taken a seat between Eva and her partner, effectively blocking Pierce’s view of the other agent.
“You’re quite fortunate in that Torie MacLaren is well liked and accepted in the highest circles. She offered to send letters to some of her friends, asking that they accept you as part of her family. I would expect you to hear from most of the women quite soon.” Eva looked at the small enameled brooch pinned to her dress, popped it open, and checked the timepiece housed inside. “I should be going, but we’ll all meet again soon.”
“I’ll see you out.” Pierce stood and glanced at Mollie. “I’d like a few words with you.” He didn’t wait for a reply before escorting Eva out. Within moments, he’d returned to the library and shut the door behind him.
“Do you want to tell me what that was about?” He walked over to the small bar and poured himself a drink, not offering anything to Mollie.
She watched him open the bottle and take down one glass. She didn’t want to answer. Not because she intended to appear obstinate, but because she didn’t know what had caused her to behave that way toward Eva. Granted, she’d never worked with another female agent and hadn’t expected one as striking as Miss Gagnon, yet that didn’t excuse her odd conduct. She hadn’t been outright rude, yet she’d offered no welcome to the woman who was only doing her job as part of their assignment.
“Well?” Pierce had walked over and now stood a few inches in front of her.
“Well, what?” Regardless of how Mollie felt, it wasn’t Pierce’s place to question her actions.
“Are you going to pretend your behavior toward Eva wasn’t rude?”
“It was no such thing.” Mollie’s retort lacked conviction. She folded her arms across her chest and stalked to the window, drawing back the heavy draperies. She’d taken a walk through the spacious grounds that morning, admiring the flower gardens and various shrubs, and wondered what it would be like to live in a place like this all of the time.
Pierce watched his partner as she tried to distance herself from both him and the subject. She may be frustrating and strain his patience, but Mollie wasn’t stupid. He knew she wouldn’t risk alienating another agent without a reason.
“Are you suspicious of her?” Pierce fished for an answer.
“Of course not. If Noah brought her in, then I’m sure she’s more than capable.”
“Plus, she’s had more experience than you and I combined.”
“Yes.”
“And she’s already accomplished more in two days than we have.”
“I agree.”
“And, of course, there is the fact that she’s a stunningly beautiful woman.” He watched her face for a reaction.
She turned from the window to glare at him. “You find her pretty?”
“Don’t you?”
Mollie didn’t respond. This wasn’t a conversation she intended to have with Pierce. “It doesn’t matter what I think as long as her skills bring us what we need to finish this assignment.”
“So you do think she’s beautiful?” Pierce persisted.
She narrowed her eyes, but didn’t respond. “I’m going upstairs. I’ll see you at supper.” She avoided eye contact as she brushed past him and left the room.
Pierce watched her leave, barely able to restrain a smile until she’d closed the door. Her behavior had baffled him until he realized that his partner might be jealous of the beautiful female agent who was part of their team. From his point of view, there was just one reason one female would be jealous of another, and he was unwilling to go there.
He’d been able to control his body’s response to Mollie over the last few months, even though it had become increasingly difficult. He found Mollie to be the most achingly beautiful and annoyingly desirable woman he’d ever met. Before their partnership, he had spent many hours fantasizing about her. Now, he had to ignore his normal reactions, and treat her like anyone else he worked around—except they were partners and forced to be together almost every day.
If he could bed her, let his strong attraction run its course, he’d be able to get her out of his system, and his automatic response to her would end. He was certain of it.
Chapter Four
New York City
Lee studied the latest message from Eva. Even though it had been four years, he still felt a twist in his gut whenever he heard her name or saw her, which, thankfully, wasn’t often, and generally from far away. He hoped to keep her at a distance for this assignment, at least several thousand miles away. The telegram he held in his hand caused that hope to fade with each word.
Eva recommended that they’d be able to accomplish more with another agent, someone from wealth who had a high enough pedigree from the East Coast that no one would question him. She’d leave the final decision to Lee.
It was cloaked as a recommendation, even though both Eva and Lee knew otherwise. She had a knack for making her demands known, even if they appeared subtle to those unfamiliar with her tactics.
What bothered him above all else was the fact that there was no one he could think of who fit the description of the perfect agent—no one except him. If she’d been hinting for him to travel to the San Francisco, she would have said it straight out. She hadn’t. He knew he was the last person she wanted in her presence, not after what happened four years before.
Lee grabbed the message and marched across the hall to Alex McCann’s office, knocked once, then entered. Alex looked up from his desk.
“What do you need, Lee?” Alex knew Hatcher well enough to know the man had little time or patience for small talk.
“Advice.”
Alex tossed down the pen in his hand and sat back. “All right.”
“Eva Gagnon has requested another agent. Someone well trained with the right social standing to act as her suitor and escort in San Francisco. I need your help to identify someone.”
Alex McCann handled many off-the-books investigations for Noah Dodd and several other well-placed government employees in various agencies. His company was working behind the scenes on the current assignment led by Noah and Lee. A request for a certain type of agent with specific skills wasn’t unheard of, and was most often passed by Alex for his input and approval.
“Ty Bonnefield would fit the requirements nicely, however, he’s in the middle of a four month assignment for another agency. John Hamilton would be an excellent choice if he hadn’t broken his leg on his the job. He’ll be laid up for months.”
Alex pulled open a desk drawer and pulled out some files. He thumbed through the stack, setting a couple aside and placing the rest back into the drawer. He opened the first, closed it, then picked up the second file to read the contents.
“Owen Kendall. He’d be perfect. About your size, excellent skills, from a wealthy family with banking interests in New York and Boston. He’s a lawyer by trade, graduated from Columbia, and keeps a home in the city. If I’m not mistaken, I believe he may also have a house in San Francisco that was left to him by one of his relatives.” He looked up to see that Lee’s face had turned to stone.
“No, not Kendall. There must be someone else.”
“There is only one other person I know who could make t
his work.” Alex folded his hands on the desk and leaned forward.
“Who is that?”
“You.”
Lee stood, shoved his hands in his pockets, and paced to the large set of windows that looked out onto one of the busiest streets in New York. He had a love-hate relationship with this city and some of the people in it. He loved it for the same reasons he hated it. Privilege and power were wielded without regard for those who stood in the way. Educated, wealthy scions with questionable character and back room business dealings were revered, while those who made their money through honest hard work and respect for the law were spurned. He’d been born into privilege and affluence, was an almost embarrassingly wealthy man from a well-respected family, yet he still felt the chains that came with the opportunities which had been handed to him. That he hadn’t been disinherited by his father still amazed him.
He turned back to Alex. “I can’t.”
“It’s been over four years. You’re both professionals. I’m betting the two of you could pull this off better than any other two agents.”
“Perhaps, but we could just as easily fail.”
“She’s over it.”
“So she’s told you and everyone else.” He ran a hand through his thick auburn hair and took a deep breath, never moving from his spot by the window. “Eva believes I destroyed our marriage. She may never trust me again. This assignment is too important. It’s not worth the risk.”
“Then Owen Kendall it is.” Alex closed the file. “I’ll contact him today and set up a meeting for tonight.”
“No, not Kendall,” Lee hissed then walked back to his chair in four long strides.
“For God’s sake, Lee, there isn’t anyone else.”
The room fell silent as Lee struggled with a decision that could mean success or failure for their current assignment—an assignment that, as yet, wasn’t fully understood by anyone. Alex was right. There were few men who could meet the needs of this job, and only two of them were available—he and Owen—and there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d let Kendall get anywhere near Eva.
He stood and straightened to his full six foot four inch height. “I’ll make travel arrangements for San Francisco.”
Alex nodded, knowing that this was not the best solution. But it was the only one they had under the circumstances.
******
San Francisco
“Mr. Dunnigan. It’s good to see you.” Pierce stood in the lobby of the large building and extended his hand to the man who’d once hired him to work on a decoding case. Pierce’s current assignment included a cover as an employee of Dunnigan Enterprises in the San Francisco offices.
“Hello, Pierce. It appears that life is treating you well.” Louis Dunnigan accepted the offered hand then indicated that Pierce should follow him upstairs to the third floor. “Here you are.” He opened the door to one of the offices facing the main street and waved Pierce inside. “As you can see, your office is furnished with everything needed by an executive of my company. Although Dunnigan Enterprises purchased the building, it is used by several of my companies, including Taylor-Dunnigan Cattle & Timber. Since you know most of the people involved in Taylor-Dunnigan, that is what we’ll go with for your cover. You’ll be helping us expand our timber, lumberyard, and cattle operations in northern California.”
Louis walked into the hall. “Miss O’Connell, I’d like to introduce you to Pierce MacLaren, the new director.”
Pierce followed Dunnigan into the hall, expecting to see an older woman. What he found surprised him. Martha appeared to be in her early twenties, with dark reddish-brown hair pulled into a loose bun. Her soft, green-gray eyes were set wide, giving her a perpetual look of innocence. She stood about five f00t five, and her petite frame was covered in a long-sleeved, high-necked green dress that hugged her slim waist.
“Pierce, this is Martha O’Connell. She’ll assist you with whatever you need. Martha, meet Pierce MacLaren.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss O’Connell.” Pierce studied her serene expression and wondered how much she knew about him and his work at Taylor-Dunnigan.
Martha smiled as she looked up at the much taller new director who would be her boss. He was handsome in the extreme. “Nice meeting you also, Mr. MacLaren. My desk is just down the hall. Please let me know if there is anything I may do for you.”
“Miss O’Connell, please see that Mr. MacLaren receives a complete tour of the building and meets the other managers and staff.” Louis turned to Pierce. “I must leave for an appointment, but Miss O’Connell will take good care of you.”
“Let me know when you’d like your tour, Mr. MacLaren,” Martha said and began to turn away.
“Now is fine, Miss O’Connell.”
She inclined her head and motioned for him to follow. “All right. We’ll start with this floor.”
They walked through the three-story building, Martha introducing him to perhaps twenty employees. There was considerable empty space, which Martha said would be leased to a law firm for at least two years.
“Mr. Dunnigan told me you and your wife just moved here from the East Coast. Do you have children, Mr. MacLaren?”
Wife? Pierce almost said before he caught himself. “Uh, no. Mrs. MacLaren and I were only recently married.”
“Congratulations. Please let her know that I would be delighted to help her with anything she needs regarding the city. I’ve lived here my entire life and know all the good areas, as well as those she should avoid. It’s a wonderful place, but women must still be careful which neighborhoods they frequent.”
“Thank you, Miss O’Connell. I’m sure she’ll be appreciative of your offer.”
They finished the tour before returning to his office.
“Did Mr. Dunnigan provide you with a key?” she asked Pierce.
“Key?”
“To your office.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“I’ll make sure you have one by the time you leave today.” She made a note on the pad of paper she always carried. “Will there be anything else, Mr. MacLaren?”
“Nothing else now, Miss O’Connell. Thank you for the tour and introductions.”
Martha nodded before turning to walk back to her desk. Pierce watched her walk away, appreciating the sway of her hips and damning Noah once more for creating a situation that was as frustrating as it was lucrative.
******
“Is Mrs. MacLaren home, Penelope?” Pierce walked into the large entrance hall, placed his hat on the hallstand, and reached for his gun belt before realizing he’d left it in his bedroom. Noah had ordered a special holster to conceal the forty-five Peacemaker that Pierce preferred to carry, plus a special holster for Mollie’s use, but they had yet to arrive.
“Yes, Mrs. MacLaren is in the drawing room having tea.”
Pierce loosened his shirt collar while walking toward the drawing room. He needed to arrange for Mollie to come to his office, meet the employees, and speak with Miss O’Connell. Mollie had good instincts and he valued her opinion about people—everyone except himself, of course. He believed she was dead wrong in her judgment of him.
“Good evening, Mrs. MacLaren.” He bent to place a quick kiss on her cheek, knowing that Penelope had followed him with a glass and decanter of whiskey. The kiss had an unanticipated effect on Pierce as he found himself fighting the urge to place a proper kiss on her lips. It unsettled him to know that even a slight touch, his lips to her skin, could trigger such an intense desire and impulse to take more.
Mollie froze at the feel of Pierce’s lips on her face. The contact was brief, yet the impact was profound. She fought to keep her gaze forward and not raise her eyes to his, seeking what her body had craved since the first day she’d met him. Her hands stayed clasped tight in her lap until he pulled back and turned to take a seat across from her.
“How did it go?” To her dismay, her voice wavered. She reached for her cup of tea and took a long swallow of the warm liquid to hid
e the momentary lapse.
“It will more than suit the purpose. Mr. Dunnigan introduced me to Miss O’Connell, the woman who will help with any of my needs.” He glanced at Mollie to see her eyebrows lift at his comment. Pierce knew he was baiting her, wanting to see her react to the implication in his remarks, and perhaps comment—show the slight vein of the jealousy that surfaced when she’d met Eva—but she didn’t respond.
He cleared his throat. “I’d like you to visit tomorrow, meet Miss O’Connell and a few others. I believe it’s a good idea to get in the habit of showing up at odd times, letting everyone know that you’ll come and go as you please.”
Mollie thought his request made sense. The more she visited Pierce, the more her appearances would be seen as normal, and those who worked around him would relax and perhaps speak with her. She’d heard from Noah that Dunnigan had hired locals who either grew up in San Francisco or knew the area well. Exactly the type of people who might know the city from another point of view—a vantage point different from those considered newcomers. She turned at the sound of Penelope entering the room to announce supper would be ready in ten minutes.
“Thank you, Penelope.” Mollie turned back to Pierce. “It would be my pleasure to come by your office tomorrow. Shall we say noon?”
Pierce waited until Penelope closed the door. “That’s fine.” He leaned forward in his seat. “There are several banks a short distance from the office. It would be a good time to visit each one and meet the managers. They’re in a position to know about activities that seem out of place and provide us with additional introductions.”
Mollie agreed. She knew they had to make acquaintances with those powerful in business, as Eva was already doing.
Penelope came back in to let them know their meal was ready.
Pierce stood, took a couple of steps toward Mollie, and extended a hand. “May I accompany you to supper?”
Mollie took his hand and quickly wrapped her fingers under his as they turned to leave the drawing room. The same sensations she’d felt when he’d touched her cheek with his lips rippled through her body when his hand touched hers. This time, the awareness excited and troubled her. By the time they reached the beautifully set table, she’d made a resolution to steel herself against her body’s reaction to Pierce MacLaren. They had a job to do, and neither could afford to jeopardize it over some passing attraction.
Wilder Than the Rest: MacLarens of Fire Mountain Page 4
